CityLife

Freshers' clubbing guide

FOR the new student, the first few weeks in Manchester can be pretty daunting stuff. Not only is there a plethora of academic things to take care of, there are worried mums and dads to placate (tell 'em you live on kebabs and Pot Noodles) and - of paramount importance - a fresh social life to organise.

Of course, you may say the reasons you moved to the city are strictly academic (don't believe you for a moment) but nevertheless, while you're here, why not at least get out of the library once in three years and see what the second city has to offer you by way of non-academic pursuits.

You won't have realised this yet, but this week is the mother of all weeks in the club promotions calendar. After a quiet summer season, almost every promoter is up and running, offering a whole spectrum of nights for your delectation.

Partly it's because they want to make a bit of money off you and partly it's because - thanks to you lot - the population has just rocketed. You are very good for this city and don't you forget it.

A word of caution - when you find out about a night you fancy, do a bit of research and check if it sounds like it's going to be busy. After all, a lot of new nights probably won't be around in a month or so - call it survival of the fittest - and the last thing you want is you and your mate to be the only people in a 600-capacity venue smiling politely at a ego-deflated DJ.

Mr Scruff

One of the city's great national treasures is DJ and promoter Mr Scruff. His monthly Keep It Unreal session at The Music Box (Saturday, October 1 is the next one) is a delight of eclectic dancefloor fun and you won't believe some of the music he can move a room with with his deft mixing skills.

In-house nights are big news for new students. After all, the locations are safe and sanctioned by the students union. Rock Kitchen at MMSU is an institution. Voted best club in the north west by Metal Hammer, it's a riot of classic and new rock/metal, complete with live musicians, stilt walkers and err{hellip} angle grinders.

Down at the newly-built mega club Academy 4, there's a whole range of new nights starting up. Replay every Friday is a fresh party featuring cutting edge indie rock, classic hip hop and a roof-raising party anthems which is getting a great reputation already. Wednesday at the same venue is Frat Party with DJ Carl Kennedy promising Animal House-style antics and much musical debauchery.

New gay students' first port of call in Manchester's gay village is Poptastic every Tuesday and on Saturday Mutz Nutz.

A true institution it's fun, drunken and a champion of indie rock and cheese pop. Want to see a legend in action? Head down to Stamp Out Loneliness at Lloyd Street's Zenith club, where Andy Rourke from The Smiths is playing a selection of post punk and indie every Friday. He even drops the occasional Smiths track, if you ask nicely.

Altogether less sensitive is the enormously popular Vodka Island at Tiger Tiger in The Printworks every Monday. It's not clever, but it is big and becoming one of the events of the student social calendar.

If you're looking for something a little more discerning, head up to Sankey's Soap, the club that is the heir apparent to the now defunct Hacienda.

Top names from Sasha to X-Press 2 make regular appearances, so stick with the go section of M.E.N. on a weekly basis for the latest dates and scoops.

Finally, DJ Oliver Lang starts a new night at Zumeba (opp BBC) every Wednesday playing electro-tinged house.

He's one of the city's hottest DJs at the moment, having made himself a near-legend over in Ibiza this summer with the latest cutting-edged sounds.

When you've done all these, then you can get some work done.